Richmond University Medical Center tackles type II diabetes
Type II diabetes and its associated healthcare costs continue to increase. Studies have shown that community health-based interventions help patients manage their diabetes and achieve control over the disease, improving health indicators and reducing costly healthcare utilization related to avoidable diabetes complications. In 2018, Richmond University Medical Center began offering the National Diabetes Prevention Program to address this issue in the Staten Island community.
RUMC offers this program free of charge to the public. NDPP is a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recognized, evidence-based, year-long program focusing on lifestyle changes related to physical activity, coping mechanisms, healthy eating and stress management. With support from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, facility staff were trained to become certified lifestyle coaches and obtained technical support in implementing the program. RUMC’s program received CDC full recognition status after meeting targets in areas such as average participant weight loss and session attendance.
More than 30 people have participated in NDPP through RUMC since its inception in 2018. The most recent evaluation report from the CDC demonstrated that participants lost an average of 5.7% of their starting bodyweight. Recently, a local newspaper showcased the program by highlighting one participant who lost 169 pounds through his dedication to the program.
For more information, contact Brittany Langan, MSW, director, ambulatory performance improvement, at (718) 818-1275 or blangan@rumcsi.org.
